It’s finally here! The big news we’ve been waiting for! It’s been long enough, too - Xbox 360 has been out for 7 and a half years, which is an extremely long time for a gaming console. And with all the hoopla, Microsoft’s reveal event did not disappoint. Partnerships with the NFL and Steven Spielberg were announced, along with an incredible preview at Call of Duty - Ghosts.
I must say, I have never been drawn to the CoD games - until now. The new engine allows them to dramatically increase the quality of the graphics in the game, making it so much more realistic than MW3. Check out these comparisons!
(Images from TechnoBuffalo.com)
As a computer artist and programmer, I am thoroughly fascinated that they could get the graphics this good. Now the test is whether they’ll translate to well gameplay (fingers crossed!!).
In addition to the cool partnerships and exciting CoD game preview, the console itself has some pretty cool features. Firstly, it has a clean and streamlined exterior, far simpler than the 360′s curves. It has full TV integration with a revamped new start menu that looks a lot like Windows 8 - surprise, surprise, Microsoft is building a UI network! Perhaps one of the coolest features is the voice control: simply say “Xbox On” and both the console and TV will turn on, right where you left off last.
“All in One” - a convincing slogan when you read all the features: Skype, satellite, social networking, integrated fantasy football experience (uh, I’ll have to see it before I’m convinced), web browsing, and TV apps all lie on a multi-tasking interface that works like a regular OS for your screen. Wow, that’s a lot to shove into one machine.
It all sounds ideal, and a console like this could revolutionize the way we approach in-home entertainment. But only the official release will tell just how good it is.
Here are some more sites with info on the release:
- Microsoft’s Website: Xbox One - What it Does
- Wired.com: Exclusive First Look at Xbox One
- Gizmodo: Everything You Need to Know About Xbox One
Did you tune in to the live reveal? What are your thoughts about the new Xbox One? Do you think it will be all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s talk about it in the comments.
~Sage
